New Delhi: A total of 54 crorepati candidates are in the fray for the first phase of Manipur Assembly elections to be held on 4 March, while 8 have declared criminal cases against themselves, as per a latest report. Manipur Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) have analysed the self-sworn affidavits of all 167 candidates from 17 political parties, including 6 national parties, 5 state parties, 6 unrecognised parties and 14 independent candidates who are contesting in the first phase of Manipur Assembly elections. Out of the 167 candidates, 54 are crorepatis, it said.

File photo of a man casting his vote in Manipur. AP

Among party wise crorepati candidates, 21 out of 37 from INC, 21 of 38 from BJP, 5 of 12 from National Peoples Party, 2 of 8 from North East India Development Party and 2 of 6 from NCP have declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore, Delhi-based ADR said in a report released on Monday. The average assets per candidate contesting in the first phase of Manipur polls is Rs 1.04 crore. Among major parties, the average assets per candidate for 37 INC candidates is Rs 1.73 crore, 38 BJP candidates (Rs 1.49 crore), 12 National Peoples Party candidates (Rs 1.06 crore), 10 AITC candidates (Rs 32.74 lakh), 6 NCP candidates (Rs 58.74 lakh) and 14 Independent candidates (Rs 26.36 lakh).

The three richest candidates contesting in the first phase of Manipur Assembly Elections are Sehpu Haokip of Naga Peoples Front with total assets of over Rs 13 crore, followed by Konthoujam Krishnakumar of BJP (over Rs 9 crore) and Kshetrimayum Biren Singh of INC (over Rs 8 crore), the report by the think-tank said. A total of nine candidates have not declared their PAN details. The top three candidates with highest income are Kshetrimayum Biren Singh of INC with total income of over Rs 2 crore followed by Khundrakpam Bhabeshwar of LJP (over Rs 28 lakh) and Konthoujam Govindas also from INC (over Rs 27 lakh), it said.

The report further said that out of 167 candidates analysed, 8 have declared criminal cases against themselves. There are 3 candidates who have declared serious criminal cases, including cases related to attempt to murder, cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property etc. Among party wise candidates with criminal cases, 4 of 38 candidates from BJP, 2 of 37 candidates from Indian National Congress, 1 of 10 candidates from Manipur National Democratic Front and 1 of 6 candidates from Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits, it added.

On the education details of candidates the report said, 38 have declared their qualification to be between 5th and 12th, while 124 have declared having a qualification of graduate or above and one candidate is illiterate. A total of 72 candidates have declared their age to be between 25 and 50 years, while 95 between 51 and 80 years. In the first phase of Manipur Assembly election this year,
7 female candidates are contesting.